Noelle D

noelle D

I’ve known that teaching was my calling ever since high school, when I had the opportunity to assist in an elementary classroom and absolutely fell in love with education. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a student’s eyes light up when they finally grasp a concept they’ve been struggling with—that “aha!” moment is what I live for.

I earned my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Elmhurst University in Illinois, along with endorsements in ESL, bilingual education (Spanish), and special education. After graduation, I spent nine incredible years living and working in Tijuana, Mexico, where I served as a middle school teacher and later as the Education Coordinator at St. Innocent Orphanage. In that role, I developed and implemented academic and behavioral support programs for students facing a wide range of challenges, including learning disabilities, mental health and behavioral diagnosis, ADHD, dyslexia, and trauma. I also worked with students who had never set foot in a classroom before, helping them build foundational literacy and study skills from the ground up. Watching these students take great strides in their education instilled in me a love for working with students one-on-one and a deep commitment to student success.

I am passionate about supporting students who are struggling to succeed in traditional academic environments by helping them build confidence, find effective strategies, and discover the joy of learning. Through Focus Tutors, I’m excited to offer support in Spanish, general homework help, and organization/study skills.

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Bradford B

BRadford B

I became a teacher because teaching, and learning, are a lifelong passion.  I was born and raised in rural western Colorado; my younger sister and I were the third generation of our family to grow up in our small mountain town.  Like almost all young people there, I attended our local public high school, and upon graduation became the first in my family to attend college.  I credit this to, after God's grace, the constant support especially of my mother, whose selfless devotion inspires me to this day.

I started my higher education by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, with distinction in the major, from Yale University.  I then attended law school at Cornell University, earning my JD.  After practicing law for two years in a large corporate firm in New York City, which I found unsatisfying and lacking a healthy work-life balance, I changed careers.  I returned west, specifically to southern California, and decided to return to the humanities, my first academic love.  I was admitted to the PhD program in English literature at UC Berkeley, where I also did significant coursework in classics (Latin and ancient Greek).

While finishing my doctoral dissertation, I worked for five years teaching English literature and writing, AP U.S. history, Spanish, and other subjects with HS2 Academy, a private company in Orange County, CA.  In 2015 I was hired to teach at ASU, where I've taught for the past nine years, in the Department of Interdisciplinary Humanities.  Over the past fourteen years I've worked with countless (literally in the low thousands) students of different backgrounds, and I'm just as keen on teaching now as when I started!  Some of my former students, now adults and married with children, remain dear friends, and it's an honor to have helped shape their path.

I recently joined the Focus Tutors team and am happy to work with students in the following areas: English language and literature; Spanish language; French language; Latin language; U.S. history; world history; U.S. government and civics; philosophy and religion; reading and writing support; general homework support; study skills.

One interesting aspect of my career change is that I have lived and worked in Seattle, Portland, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Los Angeles, and New York but finally came back "home" to teach at a school I attended.  I am an alumnus of Hopi, Ingleside, and Arcadia ultimately graduating from ASU with a degree in Industrial Engineering before starting my international IT career.

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Kiki T

Kiki T

 I thought I was destined to be a writer. It was my passion throughout my entire childhood and young adult life. I wanted to write for major magazines and travel the world interviewing the biggest names in entertainment. I spent the majority of my college years doing just that- editing my college magazine and majoring in Communication with a focus in media.

 I spent the years following college, working at a technology company where I trained (and retrained) clients on how to effectively use my company's software. Simultaneously, I was teaching Greek at my local church. It was the combination of these two jobs that prompted me to pursue a career in education. I loved helping people and loved making a difference in the lives of my students.

 A move to Northern Virginia opened the door to education. It was there that I had the opportunity to teach at a bilingual preschool while pursuing my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction concentrating in teaching English Learners. My graduate program led me to finding a teaching position at the largest middle school in Virginia. For three years, I worked with students who had recently arrived to the country and struggled to learn English. 

 While my experience is primarily with middle school students, I have spent many years tutoring and working with younger learners. Specifically, with students in dual-language elementary programs. I am so grateful for the opportunity to join the Focus family and work with students from grades K-8. I am passionate about helping students who are learning a new language (French, Spanish, Greek), helping primary grade students in all subject areas, supporting reading and writing, and helping with general homework help and organizational skills.

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Paige W

Paige W

I teach to empower.  Studying International Development at Tulane University, I learned that education is the cornerstone of all progress—healthcare, civil rights, environmentalism, and the like advance hand-in-hand with knowledgeability of the populace.  For that reason, I decided to go into education.  Well, that and the fact that kids are hilarious; high impact plus good company makes for an easy career choice!  In addition to International Development, I studied Spanish and Psychology at Tulane.  Upon earning my Bachelor of the Arts degree in 2012, I moved right out to Arizona.  Two years later, I graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of Education degree.  Since that time, I’ve enjoyed teaching special education in the valley with students in grades K-8.  I’m thrilled to be part of the Focus Tutors team, and I look forward to sharing my passion and expertise in: organization and time management, study strategies, ADD/ADHD coaching, executive functioning support, test-taking skills, Spanish, and elementary & middle school mathematics, reading, writing, spelling, and grammar.

 

 

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